Not All Students May Be Able to Measure Up

Published in 6/21/2004

A report issued by Achieve, Inc. finds that high school exit exams measure skills students typically acquire in grades 7 through 9, but Hank Levin is concerned that these tests might still damage the futures of minority and poor students. "The issue is how you balance these--the high standards and expectations with making sure you accommodate the late bloomers, those who don't test well, and those who have been in situations outside of school that work against achievement," said the professor of economics and education and director of the National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education.

The report, entitled "Do Graduation Tests Measure Up?: A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams," looks closely at the mathematics and English/language arts tests given in six states that volunteered for the study, including Florida, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.

The article, entitled "High School Exit Exams Not All That Tough, Study Concludes," appeared in the June 16 edition of Education Week.